To All Christians!
Posted on 12/20/2004 2:53:52 AM PST by Clive
Allow me to be the first Jew to say to you "Merry Christmas."
Not "season's greetings." Not "happy holidays." Merry Christmas. Nothing added, nothing taken away.
Once, not so long ago, the chief challenge for Christians at this time of year was putting Christ back into Christmas -- reminding the faithful that Christmas isn't just about egg nog and presents, but that it was a celebration of the Christian God and His birth.
Today, the battle isn't to keep Christ in Christmas -- it's to keep Christmas at all.
Foremost in the war to deracinate anything Christian in society is the government, especially the federal government. At official memorial ceremonies, ranging from the Swiss Air memorial to the one after 9/11, the mention of Jesus is expressly forbidden. Even the military's chaplains are facing their emblem -- a stylized cross -- being removed from their caps, lest it offend. By contrast, immediately after 9/11, Jean Chretien visited a Muslim mosque. Paul Martin underwent an aboriginal "smudge ceremony" when he became PM.
But both men each swore that their own religion, mere Christianity, would never affect their political decisions, especially on matters of morality.
Both authorized campaign attacks against their political challengers -- Preston Manning, Stockwell Day and Stephen Harper -- for daring not to abandon their own faiths upon entering the public square, too.
This year, an agent of Revenue Canada telephoned Calgary's bishop, Fred Henry, and threatened that if the priest dared to criticize the Liberal government's policies on moral issues, he'd risk having the church's charitable status removed -- and thus subjected to massive taxes. The prime minister's spokesman called the bishop a liar. Really? I know who I believe.
Once, people feared entering politics if they committed a moral sin in their private life. Now, they fear en-tering politics if they promote moral virtue in public life.
Secular fundamentalists say this is necessary for separation of church and state. But that concept is an American one, not Canadian (even there, the only prohibition in the U.S. Constitution is against government abridging religious rights). Their motto is "In God We Trust."
In Canada, our Constitution is positively stuffed with religious rights, including government support for religious education. The very first sentence in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms reads "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and rule of law."
Freedom of religion is the first freedom listed in the Charter, ahead of freedom of speech or the right to vote. Our head of state, Queen Elizabeth, is also head of the Church of England.
Our anthem asks God to keep our land glorious and free. Parliament and legislatures open with a prayer.
This is not just about ornaments or incidentals. It is an outward reflection of the core values that make us different from, say, Iran, or Togo. We are not just another country. We are a great country, not because of our geography or economy, but because our culture is rooted in the highest ideals. They are Christian principles - call them Judeo-Christian principles, if it makes you more comfortable. But that is what makes Canada great -- not our forests, or weather, or government spending.
Those principles are being attacked. Sometimes frontally, as with the latest assault from the Supreme Court.
Sometimes subtly, as with the advent of "seasons greetings" and "winter holidays." There are many solutions needed. But the simplest is to start saying "Merry Christmas," and correcting those who don't.
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I am taking the liberty of pinging my Zim/Africa list as well.
Christmas blessings to you Clive.
Thank you for all your posts and pings.
Cindy
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THE CHRISTMAS LINKS PAGE
http://www.truthusa.com/CHRISTmas.html
Great post!
I caught myself stuttering over saying "Have a Merry Christmas" to a store clerk a few days ago.
I found myself saddened how bad things have become in our Country, but mostly I was mad at myself because I allowed myself to be afraid to say it.
Being as I am Jewish, that sure gets me looks at Temple.
A Merry Christmas to you and yours. Thanks for posting.
Did anyone watch the special last night on the 'Birth of Jesus"?
It was difficult to feel the CHRISTmas Spirit this year.
Christmas is so low-keyed everywhere except on Fox.
We cant allow them to win like this.
With great joy I proclaim a very MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all! And a Happy and prosperous New Year!
Jesus is the reason for the season. Take away the reason, you take away the season.
I, for one, am not willing to let the anti-everything, hate-filled leftists take Christ, the foundation of Christianity and the very essence of Christmas whose birth we celebrate, away.
This is NOT the holiday season, those are NOT holiday presents, and they are NOT holiday trees. It IS the Christmas season, those ARE Christmas presents and they ARE Christmas trees.
Christmas is the only time of the year that people actually behave a little better towards one another. We are a little more civil and a little more forgiving. Christmas is a time when we think a little less of ourselves and a little more of each other. It is, without a doubt (as the song goes), "the best time of the year", followed closely by Easter.
I will NEVER countenance or support ANYONE who wants to destroy Christianity, God, Jesus or religious freedom. We are NOT going to return to the dark days under imperial Rome when Christians had to meet in secret to worship and were fearful of discovery. That's NOT happening. We have celebrated our religious freedom and our love of Jesus Christ for more than 2,000 years and if the Left doesn't like it, we know where they will be heading when they leave THIS life - that's NOT for us.
God, Christ and Christianity are NOT variations of the same communicable disease - they are the light and the life and if the Left is afraid of all that they symbolize, all the better; they HAVE something to fear.
For me, I celebrate this season - this CHRISTMAS season - with open arms and embrace ALL FReepers with "Merry Christmas"!! Jesus Christ is alive and well in all of us and on December 25th, we welcome Christians and non-Christians alike to celebrate the anniversary of His birth.
Merry Christmas!!
I had sooooooo much fun saying "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holy Days" to everyone I came in contact with. You'll find, once you start, it becomes infectious, and you want to say such more and more.
Likewise, one doesn't have to be a Christian to recognize the birthday of a Jewish boy who became a rabbi, a prophet and, in the view of many, a Redeemer. One needn't accept any beliefs at all to simply see the changes in human history that have resulted, both good and bad but mostly good, IMHO
Sometimes subtly, as with the advent of "seasons greetings" and "winter holidays." There are many solutions needed. But the simplest is to start saying "Merry Christmas," and correcting those who don't.
It's the little things that cumulatively have a huge impact. For those who don't believe that language is a strategic weapon, try getting Reuters to use the word "terrorist", or getting a diversity consultant to use the term "sexual preference" instead of "orientation".
by the way, western languages contain the legacy of our Christian heritage in many subtle ways. When you say Goodbye, you are really using the contraction of GOD be with YE. In French, the term is Adieu (a Dieu - of God) as it is in Spanish (a Dios). The term "via con Dios" is "go with God". Perhaps we should simply cease contracting our farewells and begin to rediscover the old fashined pronunciations!
Merry Christmas, everbody!
Thank you -- and a very very Merry Christmas, Clive -- to you and to all of those you love -- and to all of those you ping -- and theirs.
Blessings -- Brian
Thank you!
Thank you -- and a very very Merry Christmas, Clive -- to you and to all of those you love -- and to all of those you ping -- and theirs.
Blessings -- Brian
Stretch: the old geezer here... been there and done that.. A great article and great comments.... now, for some of my thoughts.
I have said for a long time that Hillary and Bill, the epitome of the hippie world, have tenacles that reach world-wide. They both have the ACLU do their dirty work for them. They have divided this nation in many ways..Racism, Christianity, environmental issues... and especially politics. They are secret members of the American Socialist party... afraid to come out and admit it. At least, the entire black caucus openly belong to it, along with Nancy Poluci... They are evil people for wanting to destroy the greatest nation in the world... Not only this nation, but other democratic nations such as Canada, England, France, Australia and other nations. they want illegal immigsration for the votes...They want the terrorism to rip us apart. They want us defeated...
It is a worldwide leftist movement.. The division is worldwide and the hate America crowd is nothing more than a bunch of grown up hippies still wanting to live their stenchful lifestyle of abortion, free love, homosexual and lesbian lifestyle and the teaching of young children to become images of themselves. Not only should we defeat this leftist agenda, but the leaders of it...HITLLERY, AND BUBBA, POLOCI, THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND ABOVE ALL, THE ACLU
To All Christians!
Merry Christmas to Everyone!
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